Dr Abbie Jordan, a senior lecturer in Psychology, discusses how adolescence can be an especially challenging time for young people with chronic pain – that is, pain that lasts for three months or longer; and how these young people find it particularly difficult to develop a sense of identity.
Dr Jordan also discusses a recent study, which she carried out with colleagues in the UK and Canada, that built on existing research to see how young people with chronic pain tackle these challenges on their journey to adulthood. They conducted in-depth interviews with ten young people, aged 12 to 17 years, about their experiences of growing up with chronic pain.